Your Heart Health: Part 2

“The LORD directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives. Though they stumble, they will never fall, for the LORD holds them by the hand.” Psalm 37:23-24 (NLT)

God not only longs for us to delight in Him, but the Psalmists says He delights in us. In fact, He delights in every detail of our lives! Even when we stumble, the Bible says, God will never let us fall beyond recovery because He holds us by the hand! How personal is that? This same Psalm describes five common heart conditions that can cause us to stumble. These emotional ups and downs of life contribute to the dis-ease of our hearts every day and threaten to make us subject to them. But, God offers the prescription for a healthy heart that can make the emotional roller coaster of life not only bearable, but real fun! So, instead of gripping the safety harness in sheer terror, let’s throw our hands to the sky and enjoy the ride of our lives! Psalm 37 tells us how:

First, trust God’s promises over my emotions.

Our emotions can be difficult to deal with. If we don’t learn to master our emotions, they will master us and life will become subject to how we feel. The truth is that emotions are neither right nor wrong. We can’t always dictate how we feel, but we can decide what to do with those feelings. The Psalmist says, “Trust in the LORD and do good. Then you will live safely in the land and prosper.” (Vs. 3) Choose to trust God’s promises over your emotions. Then, do good. Do the right thing even if you don’t feel like it at the time. When you do, God promises you will safely and prosper.

Take delight in God’s presence instead of focusing on how I feel.

Verse 4 says, “Take delight in the LORD, and He will give you your heart’s desires.” What are the desires of your heart? Self-centered people focus on how they feel. It’s all about me. The problem with that is it results in a miserable life. But, when we begin to delight in God’s presence, our desires shift and reflect His desires. Then, He is able to give us the desires of our heart. We are no longer controlled by what we feel. Our delight is in the presence of God who is not only with us but for us and in us!

Turn humbly to God’s power instead of my own willpower.

Our willpower can only get us so far in life. When life gets out of your control and you’ve come to the point of giving up, you’re in a good place. But, instead of giving up, give your life over to God’s power and control. The Psalmists reminds us that, even when we stumble with the emotional ups and downs of life, God will never let us fall for the LORD holds us by the hand. Put your hand in His! Feel the grip of His strength when you’ve lost your own. Grace is not your ability to hold on to God. Grace is the grip of God when you let go! In verse 34, the Psalmist’s said, “Put your hope in the LORD. Travel steadily along His path.” His path will have ups and downs with unforeseen circumstances. But, when you humbly turn to God’s power instead of your own willpower, it will become an adventure of faith!